Sleep Means Sleeping
by candied candid
Summary: She, in herself, was heaven on earth. And by the irony of their existence, she kept him from death when he kept her from life. AU.  SasuTen, very minor SasuIno for plot, lots of comedic relief.


**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **This is an alternative universe, and I'd say Sasuke is about twenty-five-ish-idk in this. I am unsure if my capabilities as a writer have improved or not since the last time I attempted a fan fiction, but I am hoping you will enjoy this. The first chapter may be confusing, as will half of the story, but hopefully things will clear up by the end. I don't know how often I will update.

… I feel… like I somehow rushed through this. But this is longer than my normal chapters… oh well.

**Please check out my profile for a (very small) list of music that have inspired and motivated me to write this! You can listen to it while you read or not, I dunno. But if you have any suggestions for music that you believe would fit with this story (so far), please leave them in a review. I am greatly encouraged by music and reviews! (Maybe I'm weird, I don't know. Lol.)**

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><p>CHAPTER ONE<br>A Man and His Regrets

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><p><em>Chocolate eyes glistened excitedly in response to the grand allure of the elaborate decor, yet her warm, gentle face revealed elegance and poise. The graceful rose dress that draped her body hugged her feminine curves with pristine, with her dark hair swept up into a loose bun adored with an antique comb of jade and silver, showing off her long, exquisite neck. The woman held glamour that of a goddess, though her rosy cheeks and button nose were so earthly.<em>

_She, in herself, was heaven on earth. I merely gazed at this woman with admiring eyes._

_I felt strange with the peculiar lighting and dazzling displays; hazy and unfocused, it was that of a dream . Somehow, I felt comfortable. Within the cheerful and divine atmosphere, it was extraordinarily pleasant for me, strangely._

_Glancing at me with those intriguing eyes, the young woman dressed in rose beckoned me to accompany her to the main floor with a warm smile. Her lips began to move quickly, though silence filled my ears. As her hand reached for my own, I was suddenly pulled within a glittering world of graceful dancing and individuals with merriment._

_We twirled into a waltz, gliding in unison. A hushed stillness surrounded us, yet the tempo of our souls continued on._

_Her mouth began to move once again, a cheeky smile plastered on her face as she glanced to our right. Baffled, I followed her eyes, but found nothing. Looking back, her head was now tossed back, mouth open wide in what appeared to be laughter. Her round cheeks appeared redder than before. Feeling the muscles in my lips begin to twitch from fighting a smile, I fought the urge to laugh as well, though I was not sure why. The woman blinked away her soundless giggles, whilst her lips were stretched in a tight beam, those large chocolate eyes stared at me with adoration; a beautiful aura surrounded her. I gazed at our hands for unknown reasons, finding that her fingers began to intertwine with mine. I quickly looked up at her once again in what felt like disbelief and distress. What exactly was this feeling? It felt so… genuine and pure, yet strange all the while._

_Concern crossed her simple features, her lips moving once again. I tried to understand, making out the last two words._

"… _you alright?"_

_Trying to communicate with her, I quickly began to speak, though her worried and perplexed expression told me I was unheard, just as she was to me. Her lips slowly mumbled indecipherable words, however her sweet smile still displayed on her beautiful lips._

"Good morning, handsome."

_A voice?_

_I gave the woman a questionable glance; she replied with a puzzled grin, one that began to fade._

_What?_

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><p>Sasuke awoke silently, sensing the soft pillow cradling his messy-haired head and the firm mattress supporting his weight, a sea of comforters and sheets disheveled upon his limp body.<p>

The raven-haired man blinked away the groggy feeling from his eyes as he lifted himself up in a sitting position, throwing the comforters off of his legs. Staring blankly in front of him, his eyelids dipped slightly, but he regained his sight after the feeling of his shoulder being touched in a sensual manner. Glancing upward, the young male found himself staring at playfully seductive eyes the shade of blue gazing back, coming from a woman beneath the covers he just threw off himself. He turned to look down at the woman, expressionless, dark eyes remained half open, but not in a fashion the blonde would have dreamed of. Blinking lazily, Sasuke turned his head back to the mirror placed before the large bed he and the woman were situated on.

"Get out of my apartment, Ino." Sasuke murmured, his tone chilly and deep.

"Well. I guess someone didn't have as good of a night as I did. I for one, had fun." the blonde teased flippantly, though she knew the routine and casually slipped herself out of the man's bed, in all her curvaceous glory; she was all too accustomed to his mornings, and knew that the "fun" for her was over the moment he woke. Leaning down to pick up her lacey black bra, the blonde smirked up at him, though he appeared to be completely zoned out. Black bra hung loosly around her finger, the blonde strolled toward the blinds of his room. Swiftly, she pulled them to allow the morning's sunlight to flood the entire bedroom with it's rays of greeting. _That oughta wake him up. _A groan later, Ino placed her perky breasts within the cups of the bra, clasping the back with ease.

"Didn't you have fun, Sasuke-kun?"

"_Get out."_

"Fine, fine!" Ino grumbled, snatching her matching panties from the lampshade and pulling them up nonchalantly, visibly without haste, "_Be_ Mr. Grumpy-pants. No morning sex for you."

Sasuke remained silent upon his bed, a palm rested upon the top of his forehead. Typically, he did not have dreams, and if he did have one, by a rare chance, they rarely were as detailed or awfully jovial as that one. Perplexing settings and a woman who was a complete stranger; how odd. Yet something… was oddly familiar with this dream. The man just could not figure out what.

Ino soon was completely clothed, somehow appearing flawless as she usually did, no matter the condition. A lustful Uchiha couldn't tamper with her beauty, even if he wanted to. Picking up her purse

"Bye-bye, _Mr. Uchiha_." And with a wink, she disappeared from behind his bedroom door. He knew she would find the front door of his apartment and leave; it seemed to have become a routine with the two of them. One that Sasuke had no objections to. Friends with benefits… without the "friends" part.

Standing at the side of his bed, Sasuke blinked away the heavy sleep from his eyes, mind still placed on that bizarre dream. Whatever it was, it was definitely unreal. It both pleasured and infuriated him, both for unknown reasons. However, to him, the entirety of it was redundant.

Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, his lips remained in a tight line. Picking up his phone, Sasuke inwardly groaned has he pressed one on his speed-dial.

"What time is that meeting."

"You could have asked me five minutes ago, you know." retorted Ino over the phone, displeased with her boss's consistently fowl mood. She walked awkwardly out of his apartment's lobby into the commotion called the city of Konoha. When he replied with an expectant silence, accompanied by his notorious "Hn…", the blonde bit down hard on the side of her cheek to hide an exasperated sigh of defeat, the seductive and playful eyes now rolling in annoyance. This was the duty of a multi-millionaire's personal assistant? She thought not; dealing with a man who had a pole stuck up his behind and a cold disposition ninety-nine percent of the time certainly did not have it's perks. At least he was attractive. And great in bed.

"You've got 45 minutes, Sasuke. Hinata will be at your office with your coffee in twenty." Striding to the edge of the busy city street, the blonde hastily added, "And don't be _late_! Wear that nice tux in your closet; I had it dry-cleaned and everything for you. The least you can do is look presentable. The last meeting we had with Akatsuki & Co. was a complete disaster."

Upon hearing the click of their call ended, Ino scowled bitterly at the screen of her phone, grumbling "Asshole." before tossing it in her purse and raising her hand to call a cab.

Sasuke chucked his phone upon the sheets of his bed, using his warm palm to cover his sensitive eyes; why that woman had to be a pest and expose him to sunlight at his just-awakened state was beyond him, but he would be sure to remind her that he could ruin her entire life in one heartbeat. Oddly, he felt compelled to fire her just because she was Ino Yamanaka, that girl who lusted after him their entire high school career. How she scored higher than him and their entire class was also beyond him. Of course, she was great in both the workplace and in the sack, and their personal relationship was not the most wholesome. But what did he care for. He owned an entire company single-handedly at the age of twenty-six and she went with it, knowing fully well he was the least interested in an actual relationship.

Debating whether or not to take his assistant's advice, Sasuke could not help but to agree with her accusations. The last meeting he had with the infamous Pein had indeed gone terribly wrong, mainly due to his lack of interest and informal dress style. Pein was one of his company's newest, but most demanding customers', purchasing their goods like hot-cakes. Whether or not his client used these "goods" for any good was none of Uchiha Weaponry's CEO's business, and therefore did not question much out of the pierced and vibrant-haired man.

Staring silently at what he presumed was the suit Ino fixed up for him, the Uchiha heir seldom wore such a thing, preferring to wear the standart button-up and slacks; anything too formal made him feel like his father. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke reluctantly began to undress to throw the monkey suit on, only to shut up his boisterously stylish assistant.

Days like this seemed to be his least favourite. Then again, that would mean he hated most days. And he, in fact, did.

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><p>"H-Here's your coffee, ma'am."<p>

"Thank you, dear."

"H-Hai."

Sasuke watched Hinata scurry out of the conference room from behind laced fingers; Ino stood wordlessly to his right, stealing fleeting glances toward her boss. When her presence disappeared, dark eyes now slowly maneuvered to the other corner of the room.

"Where is Pein."

Exotic blue hair ornamented with a strange, paper flower, a lip piercing, a confident, but stoic demeanor, and curves to challenge the assistant that stood to his right. Sasuke had not been expecting to be dealing with a woman clothed in a business suit, especially one that demanded high esteem when he barely even knew her name. The unnaturally-haired woman blinked in response, one hand placed on her waist, whilst the other had files and documents tucked underneath it. Beside her, a large man dressed in a finely tailored suit stood silently, hands placed behind his back. Clearly, he was there for her protection, for half of his face was darker than the other in a very unnatural way. However, the Uchiha was completely aware of the uniqueness that was Akatsuki & Co.

"Pein is, unfortunately, a bit preoccupied at this time." A ghost of a grin was soft upon her lips, her eyes focused, yet casual and comfortable. She had set the coffee and documents upon the table, eyeing the man before her in a practically all-professional manner. Sasuke was already dreading the next few hours or so that would consist of this woman and her documents while staring her down from behind his coffee cup, waiting for her to give him more information. He admitted, however, Hinata could make some damn good coffee.

"Hn."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Konan. No need for formal names." A charmingly polite smile and a slow and steady seating later, Konan continued, "Business partner. I own forty-nine percent of Akatsuki & Co. Pein has entrusted and instructed me to make the decisions and inquiries of today's meeting with you, Mr. Sasuke Uchiha."

Dark, patronizing eyes roamed to Ino.

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><p>"I wasn't informed that it would only be her, Sasuke. I didn't even know she owned half of the company!"<p>

Slamming a large stack of documents on his desk, the raven-haired man scowled hard whilst collapsing into his office chair. Ino stood silently for a moment, before continuing to defend herself; one was never too sure what upset the Uchiha heir when he is distress.

"There was nothing about it in the files, and Pein hadn't forewarned me when he set up the appointment… Sasuke?"

Hands placed on his face, the man's appearance swiftly began to show the disastrous situation he was currently thrown into, though he knew perfectly well no one was at fault. Besides Akatsuki & Co. and their ridiculousness. Hair disheveled and collar unbuttoned and popped, Sasuke spoke in a monotonous voice, going over the meeting aloud to no one in particular.

"She wants to double the amount of shipments, at the same price as the original shipment." Ino shifted tautly where she stood, biting her lower lip.

"Yes, sir. I am well aware of that."

"And if we don't compromise… they will cancel the entire shipment and no longer be our client."

"Sasuke, we have other clients."

"Akatsuki is our biggest client, Ino. We lose them, we lose everything." The blonde stared at the Uchiha incredulously.

"Then just do the deal, then." She proposed with a pinch of optimism, however the blatancy of the suggestion may have overlooked her, "I am sure that everything will be fine if we just negotiate a little-"

"I can't ship out that much weaponry to them for that price." Sasuke groaned quietly, "It would be like handing them all of their shipments for free."

The tall blonde remained silent, watching her employer and companion hold desperately to his composure and mind, her eyebrows creasing together with unease. Cautiously, Ino approached Sasuke's slightly hunched form, placing a slender hand upon his shoulder.

"I am sure there is something we can do-" Sasuke violently shrugged her comforting hand, looking up at her with furious eyes that flashed multiple shades of rage and despair.

"God damn it, Ino! We could go into bankruptcy! I'll lose the company!"

She remained soundless once again, though her eyes were edged with tears threatening to escape down her cheeks. Without much consideration, Sasuke stood from his seat abruptly, causing the blonde to slightly flinch, and began to head for the exit of his main office.

"Cancel everything else planned for today."

"But Sasuke-" She immediately clasped her lips shut. His domineering stare was enough to silence an entire room. Nodding obediently, Ino rushed to the phone placed on his desk, and began to abide his demands. Momentarily content, Sasuke made a break for it.

Fleeing the company building, the man found himself wanting to head back to his apartment. Thoughts erupting from the floodgates he thought were secure, the young man caught himself suddenly hitched beneath a cold, hard slap in the face and a grueling decision. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his slacks, he quickly began to stride down the crowded walkway. It was mid-afternoon, yet the clouds were beginning to thicken and darken, heavy with rain about to fall. He paused in his step, staring up at the blackened sky. How peculiar for it to match his mood so well, and only got darker as his mind continued to become black with unpleasant thoughts. Shrugging halfheartedly, he continued to walk.

Instantaneously, his onyx eyes caught the most deep, coffee coloured eyes; so wide and innocent, but beautiful likewise. Images of the dream pulsated in front of his eyes. Familiarity.

The woman's dark hair, assumable to be long, was styled with two tight twin buns, bangs falling on either side of her forehead. Her face was beautifully simple, no over the top make-up or products; very natural. Ordinary clothing, nothing that could be spotted directly off of a busy sidewalk such as the one Sasuke was currently. He noticed the woman no longer stared back, and instead he witnessed her retreating form across the busy street.

Without much thought, Sasuke called out to her, unaware that he was running out into the middle of very thick traffic. Something deep within him felt an unbreakable magnetism toward this woman, as if by some means she meant something important, something of great magnitude that would perhaps help him.

Once Sasuke comprehended his body was now standing in the middle of a busy street, he cursed himself for being such a fool, quickly jumping back where he belonged and overlooking the horns and profanity filling the afternoon air. The Uchiha felt compelled to question his instincts, and perhaps even his sanity. What the hell was he even thinking? Chasing after some girl in the middle of the street, granted with _very_ generic features. A girl he believed to have been in his dream the previous night. How imprudent… and _stupid. _

A drink felt mildly appropriate at this time.

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><p>Anguish, despair, hopelessness.<p>

Sasuke slumped up against the cement half-wall atop of his apartment building, the chilly midnight air nipping at his nose. With alcohol lacing his breath, the man breathed heavily, lost within his nagging thoughts that trailed after him once he left his apartment to get some fresh air.

"How did you do it… Itachi." whispered the raven-haired man, a swarm of bitterness engulfing his senses. The young Uchiha reflected upon two years before, when his older, more responsible and surely loved sibling held the authority of the company. Itachi seized the company up with just his bare hands, with such integrity and bravery, that he was often well-noted by many surrounding companies and higher powers, often being invited to dinner parties and events, some of which Sasuke attended to, but mostly in spite of him.

A staggering, guilty feeling rapidly swept him from underneath. Rarely did he ever come to this state, but tonight… something seemed to trigger his emotions into haywire. The cool, stone-hard face of the young Sasuke Uchiha soon crumbled beneath the strain of memories that consumed his entire mind, becoming too much for him to bare. Hot tears began to run freely, contrasting with the frigid cold settled on his cheeks.

It did not seem like two years ago when the smoking gun was held, the shrill laughter, the screams and panicked commotion, the magnificent interior embellishments contrasting with the bloody carnage. Escape from it, he had done. But the costs were great, when his means of getaway hit an unsuspecting couple. Whether they lived or not, he did not know. For he left the scene unscathed. He left everything that night unscathed, the guilt-ridden satisfaction becoming his best companion and worst foe.

The young Uchiha shakily stood from wilted position. As sensible of a man as he was, something deep inside of him urged him to find a solution to end the thoughts, the bizarre dreams, the pressure of work and his honor, and the twisted, cruel memories he created years previously.

Who would genuinely miss Uchiha Sasuke? The man climbed silently up onto the half-wall, his footing dangerously close to the edge.

Ino, he knew, would possibly find a better, more wholesome occupation. She may mourn his death, but surely she would move on quickly.

That dobe of a friend Uzumaki Naruto had been pushed aside a long time ago, Sasuke intentionally ignoring his every phone call and visit.

Haruno Sakura? What would a highly praised and successful female doctor want with an ex-boyfriend who dumped _her_?

Sasuke held a fixed stare down toward the city of Konoha. Everyone else in his life, he realized, was just a little pawn in this pathetic game of life; one by one leaving the chess board until the last pieces stand. It was a game against himself. And this game, he also realized, needed to be stopped once and for all.

Gently closing his eyes, the man took a step forward for his newly sought after demise.

"You know, jumping off of a building is a really lame way to die, Sasuke."

Whipping around, Sasuke surprisingly felt a jolt of shock rush through his veins. His dark eyes adjusted to the darkness and settled on a young, plain-looking woman in an awkward stance, staring at him with an unreadable expression. In the dark, he could not quite make out her face, but he knew she appeared familiar in a certain fashion. Whether it be the strange twin buns she wore as a hairstyle, or the strange tension that began to leak between them, Sasuke knew he recognized her. But he remained uncertain about her knowing his name; first name basis was not okay with him.

"How did you-"

"The stairs." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sasuke scrutinized her carefully as she casually made her way toward him, then leaned on the cement half-wall that he stood upon, him to her right, with her elbows propped up on either side. Glowering down at this bold move, he responded with silence, which somehow urged the girl to continue.

"Anyway. I'm sure you don't want all your innards and intestines and stuff to be all over that sidewalk. There are people down there, y'know. And someone has to clean it up, too. Then you'd be just be one huge mess in the middle of the city. Gross!" Sticking out her tongue playfully, the twin-bunned woman made a gagging sound, making Sasuke look away with disinterest and complete aggravation.

Refusing to speak to her any longer, Sasuke stepped forward once again, eyes closed.

"WAIT!" A hand reached for his leg, gripping his slacks with unusual strength.

Sucking in a deep breath of chilly air, he held it in his lungs and then slowly let it out. This woman was really testing his patience, and she really had no say in what he decided to do with himself or not. This business belong to Uchiha Sasuke, and only himself. Not some random, awkwardly eerie girl who decided to convince him from jumping off the side of a building with casual, friendly conversation consisting of his mangled body spread on the sidewalk and grabbing his clothing. Like that was going to stop him and his troubling worries.

Cracking one eye open, Sasuke cast a downwards glance at said woman.

Her large, chocolate eyes were laced with concern and fear, brimming with tears, the grip becoming unbelievably tighter. She stared up at him, now turned to face his towering body. Uneasy breaths could be heard, as if she had just ran a mile and back, silence taking her over now. Sasuke was now frozen, locked within her deeply touching eyes for a multitude of reasons that he was not even definite of. The fright that overtook her features now molded to determination and courage, her hand beginning to loosen on his slacks, but reluctant to pry off. Slowly, and quietly, she spoke with a clear voice, not once retreating from his piercing stare.

"I learned somewhere… that '_Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem_.' If you leave this world now… who knows what you could have done. You are still so young." Her slim hand slipped down to her side now, gaze honest and sincere; Sasuke merely stared back expressionless, completely in both astonishment and disbelief.

"Sasuke…" she spoke softly, her tone soothing and, to Sasuke, sickeningly understanding, "We may or may not know each other; I know of this. But I'm here for you, whether or not you care. I am sure… I am sure that if you talk it out with me, or someone, see a psychiatrist, or you wait whatever it is that you're going through out, you can-"

"Forget it." Sasuke abruptly declared bitterly, gracefully jumping off of the cement wall with ease, "If it'll shut you up."

A sigh of relief could be heard, along with a quiet, "Good." Sasuke strained his neck, studying the strange individual with analytical eyes. Her speech made Sasuke feel a bitter resentment toward her, yet at the same time made him feel oddly warm and reassured. This peeved him. So many questions he desired to be answered, yet one in particular had been nagging him since her presence had been made.

"How do you know my name." She pondered for a moment, carefully leaning back against the wall as she had before. Her lips curved in a tiny smile, shoulders shrugged.

"You… seem familiar… the name seemed to suit you." Her statement had the same tone as a question. The expression she held mimicked his own, if Sasuke showed any type of reaction; she appeared, perhaps, just as confused as he was to her knowledge of his first name, despite this is the very first time either of them have spoken to each other. Still… Sasuke felt a bit wary of this woman, and retreating back to his apartment and locking the door behind would suit him just fine. Something about this mousy haired girl irked him. Badly. Why does she seem so vaguely familiar to him? And is she the same girl from earlier today, which would make her the same girl from his dreams the previous nights? Curiosity rarely caught a hold of Sasuke, but the feeling began to claw at his brain and demanded to be put into action in the form of bizarre questions.

But he was no fool. He was as rational as it comes, and Sasuke understood that this girl was just some strange girl waiting in the dark for some pathetic man about to take his life from the top of a building.

Ultimately turning to leave, his steps echoing into the crisp night air, the darkness masking his unreadable expression.

"I'm glad you made the right decision, Sasuke!" the girl called out halfheartedly, making the man cringe for a moment at the sound of his name leaving her lips once more; it seemed so unnatural. And without any further interaction, the man disappeared behind a slammed door, hurried footsteps carrying him downwards toward the top floor of his apartment building.

"Fucking creepy girl…" the raven-haired man muttered darkly, his brow creasing as he fiddled with his keys. Pushing inside of his apartment, Sasuke made sure to lock the door behind him, using the dead-bolt as a precaution. Whatever this indescribable feeling was, he certainly did not welcome it.

Silently, Sasuke strode to his bathroom for his nightly shower, whilst his thoughts began to simmer to a boil on freshly opened topics. This woman

Resting his head upon his soft pillow, Sasuke laid motionless in his bed, sprawled upon the sheets and comforters. Dark eyes stared mindlessly at the ceiling.

_What a bizarre day. _Of course, waking up to his sultry, blonde assistant in his bed was not all that shocking. That meeting was definitely questionable, but what about afterwards? Chasing that woman in the street was just all too out of character for him, but he felt a magnetism so strong towards her, nothing bound him from skipping into a run and hunting her down like prey. And though he had nearly fallen off the edges of his sanity, somehow… it seemed that a similar girl, with somewhat of the same allure, came to his rescue…

_Rescue. _Sasuke snorted, turning over and shutting his eyes. _Hah. _

Sleep did not take long to consume all of Sasuke's previous thoughts, quickly tossing him into a deep and needed rest. Though his night remained dreamless, somewhere in the depths of his subconscious, he still felt that peculiar feeling of familiarity, yet other emotions that seemed beyond description.

Engulfed time brought him to his wake the next morning, though his eyelids remained tightly shut. Oddly enough, the hovering feelings remained just as strong as when he fell to slumber. Nevertheless, when Sasuke opened his eyes to reluctantly contact Ino and start the dreadful day, he regrettably found himself staring into what could be the beginning of an even more uncanny day than the one previously.

And it stared back with large, chocolate eyes.

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><p><strong>Semi-preview of next chapter:<strong>

"_You look like Mini Mouse with that atrocious hairstyle."_

_Tenten was quick to retort. "Better than a duck's ass."_

_Sasuke was equally as quick to throw her a very cold, hard look._


End file.
